On October 26, a celebration marking the 40th anniversary of the Tourism Management Department at Huaqiao University took place on the university’s Quanzhou campus. Alumni and guests from both domestic and international backgrounds gathered to reminisce about their youth, reflect on the department’s development, and look forward to its promising future.
“Huaqiao University’s Tourism Management Department has consistently followed a unique path of development over the past 40 years, flourishing in discipline construction, talent cultivation, scientific research, and social service. It has become one of the university’s key advantages and a distinguished emblem,” said Wu Jianping, president of Huaqiao University.
As one of the prominent institutions established after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Huaqiao University has remained committed to serving overseas Chinese and bridging cultures for over 60 years. It has cultivated more than 280,000 talents, with over 80,000 alumni in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and various overseas regions, becoming a vital force in fostering Sino-foreign friendship and promoting cultural exchange.
The Tourism Management Department was founded in 1984, and the School of Tourism was established in 2004. Relying on its strong academic foundation, Huaqiao University’s School of Tourism has developed a comprehensive talent training system across undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels. It has established top-notch educational and research platforms, producing over 9,000 graduates who are active in nearly 30 countries and regions worldwide.
Alumnus Shu Yuan, who returned to China from Myanmar in 2010 to study at the Tourism School, shared her experience: “My time at the School of Tourism instilled in me the confidence to ‘travel thousands of miles.’ Coming from Myanmar, studying in China opened my eyes to a vast world and encouraged me to break traditional constraints, exploring endless possibilities in life.”
Shu Yuan encouraged current students at the Tourism School, saying, “The road ahead may be long and challenging, but you must keep hope alive, remain passionate, and continue your journey.”
Xie Chaowu, the dean of the School of Tourism, expressed the department’s future aspirations, emphasizing that they will uphold the spirit of “bridging cultures and nurturing talent.” The School aims to align with national strategies and industry needs, focusing on cultivating international vision and innovative talents in tourism, while fostering the right professional values and social responsibility among students.
Additionally, that day, Huaqiao University hosted a forum on tourism education development themed “High-Quality Development of Tourism Education in the Digital Age.” Over ten experts and scholars participated, discussing various topics including the evolution of tourism education in the digital era, the training of graduate students in tourism management, and how tourism education can empower cultural and tourism economic development.
